Head coach Gatland is leaving his role after Japan 2019 and the rugby league legend looked set to follow his out of the door after agreeing to a return to Wigan.

However, the defence coach pulled out of that switch and looked set to stay with Wales under new boss Wayne Pivac, working alongside Byron Hayward.

But another twist followed when Edwards was offered a two-year deal rather than the entire World Cup cycle, leading to talk of a role in France's new-look coaching team.

Gatland's assistant has also been linked with a role with England and the head coach wants the issue sorted before the players being their World Cup preparations.

"It's been going on for a few weeks. I've had one conversation with Shaun about what he was doing which was very brief, he said he wasn't quite sure. That was pretty much the extent of it," said Gatland when naming his 42-man World Cup training squad.

"Ideally you'd like that decision to be made pretty quickly whether he's staying in Wales, going to France, going to England, or whatever he's doing.

"It's not something I'm worried about because he's here for the World Cup and focused on that. It's more of an issue for the WRU, Wayne Pivac, and Shaun to deal with.

"If it does go on any longer then I think it would be a distraction. I have to be honest and say I'm sick of reading about it in the newspapers every day.

"I can let that go at the moment because we're not in here as a squad, but if it goes on much longer then I will be having some words with people to get it sorted out because there has been enough speculation and talk that has gone on.

"Someone needs to make a decision. It's not affecting us at the moment because we're not in camp and the players are with the regions.

"We come into camp over the next four to six weeks and presumably it will be well and truly sorted by then."

Gatland says it's his coach who has the power to bring the saga to a conclusion.

"It's not up to Martyn (Phillips, WRU chief executive), it's up to Shaun Edwards," he said.

"The Union have made an offer and they've made it in good faith. I think Shaun has to make his mind up where he's going.

"It's a difficult one for us because when you're negotiating with people you try and be fair and the coaches understand that.

"We all thought Shaun had agreed terms with Wigan and that somehow changed. He came back into the frame and sometimes when you give people a contract offer, you give them a time limit.

"If the Union gives Shaun a time limit now of 24 to 48 hours and then elapses and he doesn't agree, the Union looks bad because Shaun can say the contract was pulled from beneath me.

"It's a waiting game at the moment and we will see what decision he makes. It's not something I would put up with."

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